Medical students and parents in Karnataka demand implementation of NExT be postponed

The NExT is a computer based online examination, which will be conducted in two parts — Step 1 and Step 2. The minimum marks for passing Step 1 shall be 50% (50 out of 100). The Step 1 exam result will be considered for admission to PG courses. Step 2 will be a practical/clinical and viva voce exam covering seven clinical subjects. But, students want this system to be implemented for the new batches

Students, faculty members and parents have opposed implementation of National Exit Test (NExT) as the final exam for MBBS final-year students, which also will double up as PG NEET for admission to post-graduate courses, from this year. The National Medical Commission (NMC) has released the gazette notification and guidelines for the exam.

Amidst outrage against a complete change in the system mid-way through the course, students and parents are demanding that NExT be implemented for students who join medical courses this year, and not for those who got admission to the course in 2019-20 and who will pass out this year. 

NMC has claimed that it has introduced NExT to achieve uniformity in the summative evaluation across India with reference to the minimum common standards of education and training of a medical graduate. This will be a uniform licentiate exam (for graduates from foreign medical universities), and an entrance exam for PG medical courses. 

The NExT is a computer based online examination, which will be conducted in two parts — Step 1 and Step 2.

Step 1 will be the theory exam with only multiple choice questions (MCQs). The examination shall consist of six papers covering subjects prescribed for the final-year MBBS course.

The minimum marks for passing shall be 50% (50 out of 100), or half of the maximum possible in each of the six papers. Only the Step 1 exam result will be considered for admission to PG courses.

Step 2 will be a practical/clinical and viva voce exam covering seven clinical subjects.